Trigger operated torch



28, 1969 w. T. SUCHOWOL EC 3,475,110

TRIGGER OPERATED TORCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Nov. 24, 1967 I N VEN TOR.

z fjzzakazflgka ATTORNEYS Find Nov. 24. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w 1 71m w I INVENTOR.

wkrfwakazygz a ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 431-344 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A unitary control valve for the control of propane fuel comprising a coupling portion for connection to a container filled with propane fuel and through which a supply of gaseous fuel is released from the container into the interior of the valve body. The valve body further contains a manual needle valve forregulating on-off control as well as an independently operated adjustable pilot valve member to control and regulate by pre-selection the pilot flame, and an independently operated trigger actuator for a diaphragm-valve member to provide for a large flame at selected intermittent intervals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention pertains to trigger-operated torchesand more particularly to a valve for a propane torch wherein pilot flame and full flame may be regulated and adjusted independently.

Prior art The prior art pertaining to trigger-operated torches is exemplified by Lindgren 2,958,504 wherein a triggeroperated torch affords a lost motion connection permitting selective axial movement of the control valve stem relative to the valve seat under the regulation of a trigger actuator. The lost motion is afforded by a loose thread arrangement. In Lindgren 2,977,087 and 3,101,190 other forms of lost motion are provided in cooperation with the stern of the control valve, but including means so that the control valve need not rotate, thereby producing unusual Wear on the valve seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a stable pilot flame during intermittent use of the torch is produced. Unlike the devices of the prior art wherein the main on-olf valve is used for the direct control of the flame, it is contemplated by the present invention to provide a unitary valve construction wherein the pilot flame may be independently adjusted and wherein selective trigger-actuation may also be effected independently of either the pilot valve or the on-off control valve. Such features are afforded through the utilization of an integral valve body having internal passages communicating with the source of gaseous fuel so that the pilot flame may be independently adjusted and fixed in a pre-set condition. Further, the trigger actuator cooperates with a simple diaphragm-type valve regulating flow through a different passage. The flow as regulated by both the independent pilot valve and trigger-actuated valve is controlled by an on-olf needle valve cooperating with still another seat in the valve structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a torch taken on line II of FIGURE 2 and shows the tube leading to the flame head in cross-section;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IIII of FIGURE 1 with parts shown in elevation and with the trigger-actuator depressed and the valve actuated thereby in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URE 2 but showing the components of the valve construction and particularly the trigger-operated valve in a closed position; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the on-olf needle valve construction provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While the principles of the present invention may be of wide utility, a particularly useful application is made to a propane torch shown generally at 10 and including a burner head 11 connected to a fuel tube 12 coupled to a valve body shown generally at 13 by means of a coupling connection 14.

The valve body 13 has a coupling collar formed thereon at 16 which is internally threaded at 17 for threaded engagement with a correspondingly externally threaded fitting 18 received in a top wall 19 of a propane fuel tank 20.

The fitting 18 is provided with the usual valve 21 engageable with a pusher pin shown at 22 and coupled by screw threading as at 23 into a passage 24 formed in the valve body 13. Thus, when the coupling collar 16 is threaded onto the fitting 18, the pusher pin 22 engages the valve 21 and automatically opens the same thereby releasing a flow of gaseous propane fuel through an opening 26 formed in the pusher pin 22 and into a central tubular passage 27, thereby to direct the gaseous fuel into the interior the valve body 13.

A sealing gasket is shown at 28 for sealingly engaging the fitting 18 and a retainer washer 29 prevents displacement of the sealing washer 28.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the valve body 13 is provided with multiple passages and multiple valve seats so that the on-off needle valve can direct the flow of gaseous fuel to an independently adjustable pilot valve and an independently operable trigger-actuated valve.

Thus, the valve body 13 is provided with a boss 30 in which is formed a threaded bore 31 receiving a threaded valve stem 32 selectively rotated by a manual actuating knob 33. A coupling connector 34 places the valve in assembly with the valve housing 13 and bottoms one end of a coil spring 36, the other end of which is bottomed against the actuating knob 33.

The end of the valve stem has a needle 37 provided with a tapered head 38 cooperatively engageable with a valve seat 39 formed at the bottom of the bore 31. Thus, upon selectively moving the valve head 38 towards and away from the valve seat 39, flow through an angled passage 40 communicating with the passage 24 may be selectively regulated. Upon actuating the on-off valve head 38, gaseous fuel is selectively admitted into a manifold passage shown in FIGURE 3 and in FIGURE 2 at 41.

Leading away from the manifold passage 41 in opposite directions is a first passage 42 and a second passage 43. The passage 42 is characterized by formation therein of a valve seat 44 which can be opened and closed by a tapered valve head 46 formed on the end of a stem 47 carried in a threaded sleeve 48 fastened in firm assembly to a boss 49 on the valve body 13. The stem may be selectively actuated by means of a tool-engaging slot 50 formed in the end of the stem positioned exteriorly of coupling member 51. Thus, the pilot valve may be selectively pre-set and fuel passing the valve head of the pilot valve will enter a branch passage 52 and will be directed into a passage 53 communicating wtih the flame head 11 via the tube 12.

The passage 43 has valve seat 60 which can be regulated by a diaphragm valve. In the form of the invention, the valve seat 60 is surrounded by an annular flat surface 61 seating the edges of a flexible diaphragm member 62. The edges 63 of the diaphragm member 62 are securely locked by compression through use of a fastening nut 64 having a coupling skirt portion 66 engageable with the outer edges of the diaphragm 62. The valve body is formed with a boss 66 which is internally threaded as at 67, thereby to receive the correspondingly threaded nut 64. The nut 64 is also apertured and counterbored, thereby to form a recess 67 in which is received a coil spring 68, one end of which is bottomed against the head of the nut 64 and the other end of which is bottomed against a plunger 69 having a round end 70 engageable with the diaphragm 62. Thus, the spring 68 normally biases the plunger in such a direction as to compress the diaphragm against the valve seat 60 and close the passage 43. The plunger 69 has a reduced actuator portion extending outwardly and terminating in a head 70 which is cooperable with a key slot L formed in a trigger actuator designated generally at 71 and pivotally fulcrumed at 72. A manual actuating portion 73 of the trigger actuator 71 may be selectively depressed as shown in FIGURE 2, thereby moving the plunger 69 against the bias of the spring 68 and moving the round head 70 away from the valve seat 60 so the passage 43 will be open, thereby permitting the flow of gaseous fue through a branch passage 74 into the passage 53.

In operation, therefore, in order to ignite the flame at the flame head 11, the on-off valve is actuated by turning the knob 33 whereupon the pre-set pilot valve will admit a flow of gas necessary to sustain a pilot flame through the passage 52. Whenever it is desired to selectively produce a full flame, the actuating portion 73 is depressed, thereby opening the diaphragm valve 62 and permitting a full flow of gas through the branch passage 74.

By having the pilot flame and the trigger-controlled flame completely independent of one another and of the control valve, a stable operation of the pilot flame is insured and the trigger-actuated valve can be operated without interfering with the effective regulation of the on-oif needle valve assembly.

While minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon 4 all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim:

1. A control device for controlling the supply of gaseous fuel to a torch comprising a pusher pin for throttling gas from a pressurized supply into a valve body having formed in series disposition therewithin an inlet passageway, a pair of branched passageways and a discharge passageway,

a manually operated control valve selectively opening and closing said inlet passageway to admit fuel into said branched passageways,

said branched passageways constituting a pilot flame branch and a full flame branch,

a continuously adjustable screw-threaded pilot valve in said pilot flame branch and being separately adjustable to form a pilot flame of desired size,

a trigger-operated valve in said full flame branch to selectively open and close the full flame branch passageway on demand,

and means for connecting a flame head to said discharge passage for conducting fuel to a point of utilization, whereby a flame at the flame head may be operated and with a constant pilot flame and selectively enlarged to full flame,

said trigger-operated valve comprising a valve seat in said full flame passage,

a flexible diaphragm overlying said seat and the edges thereof,

and a spring-biased trigger-actuator means normally biasing said diaphragm against said seat but being actuated against the spring bias to selectively open the full flame passage.

2. A control device as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said actuator means comprising a nut having screw threads coupling said nut to said control device and having a recess with edges clamping said diaphragm against the edges of said seat so that said diaphragm extends across said recess,

a plunger in said recess having one end engaging said diaphragm and having the other end thereof extending outwardly through the head of said nut into a position exteriorly of said control device,

a coil spring in said recess bottomed against said nut and against said plunger, respectively, to normally bias said plunger against said diaphragm, thereby to close said full flame passagey,

and a lever arm pivotally fulcrumed to said control device and having a coupling connection with said accessible end of said plunger for selective actuation thereof to open said diaphragm and produce a full flame at the burner head.

3. A trigger-operated torch comprising a burner head for mixing a supply of gas fuel from a pressurized source with combustion supporting air and for burning the resulting mixture,

and a valve regulating means between the burner head and the fuel source comprising,

means forming a passage receiving gas fuel from the source,

a manually operated needle valve having a valve seat and a valve head movable toward and away from the valve seat to adjustably regulate the flow of gas fuel towards the burner head,

passage means communicating with said valve seat and having two separate branches,

each branch being formed with a correspondingly separate valve seat,

a pilot valve having a valve head engageable with one of said separate valve seats,

said pilot valve being screw-threaded in said valve regulating means and having a tool-engaging portion extending outwardly into an accessible position for cooperation with an adjustment tool for selectively varying the size of a pilot flame at the burner head,

a trigger valve having spring-biased valve closure means normally engaging the other of said separate valve seats,

said trigger valve having a trigger actuator operatively connected to said valve closure means and pivotally connected to said valve regulating means for selective full flame burning at the burning head,

and a common discharge passage means carrying fuel from each of said separate branches to a common point of utilization at said burner head,

said trigger valve more specifically comprising a flexible diaphragm overlying one of said separate valve seats in a corresponding one of said separate branches of said passage means,

said trigger actuator having a reciprocable plunger spring-biased to engage said diaphragm and flexibly deform said diaphragm into closing relationship with the corresponding valve seat,

said actuator being movable against the spring bias to selectively open the diaphragm valve.

4. A valve for a trigger-operated propane torch comprising a valve body having an internally threaded coupling neck for threaded engagement with a correspondingly threaded fitting on a tank of propane fuel,

said valve body having a pusher pin extending axially inwardly of said coupling sleeve for engagement with the safety valve of the propane tank, thereby to admit fuel into the interior of the valve body, passage means formed in said valve body including in serial order an inlet passageway communicating with the fuel supplied to the interior of the valve body through the pusher pin,

a pilot flame branch and a full flame branch,

each of said branch passageways having its own valve seat,

and a common discharge passage having coupling means for connection to a burner head,

a pilot flame valve having a screw-threaded body and a needle valve head cooperable with a corresponding seat in one of said branch passages,

said pilot flame valve having a tool-engaging portion extending outwardl into an accessible position for cooperation with an adjustment tool for selectively varying the size of a pilot flame at the burner head,

a flexible diaphragm overlying the corresponding seat in the other branch passage,

a reciprocable plunger means retaining said diaphragm in said valve body and having an actuating plunger engageable with said diaphragm to flexibly deform the diaphragm into seating engagement with the adjoining valve seat,

spring-biasing means normally biasing said plunger toward said diaphragm,

a lever arm pivotally connected to said valve body and having an actuator portion for engagement by the hand of an operator and a coupling portion connected to said plunger for actuating the same selectively, and

a manually operated needle valve including a valve head and a valve seat in said inlet passage thereby to selectively control the admission of fuel from the inlet passage into both of the branch passages,

whereby a pilot flame fuel may be selectively preset and full flame fuel may be selectively supplied on demand.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,631,109 5/1927 Hitzemann 137599 2,524,730 10/1950 Lawhon 137599 X 2,934,308 4/1960 Kaufmann 137599 X 3,101,190 8/1963 Lindgren 251-221 3,125,153 3/1964 Lindgren 431-344 EDWARD G. FAVORS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

